Cruises and Cannabis: Can You Take Medical Marijuana On A Cruise?

Cannabis products have changed the lives of many people for the better.

From easing everyday pain to helping keep people’s serious health condition symptoms at bay, this magical plant has provided its users with incredible relief.

However, if you’re planning to go on a cruise for your next vacation, you might be wondering about the rules and regulations regarding bringing your medical cannabis products with you. 

In this article, you’ll learn more about how most major cruise lines handle bringing cannabis on board and how to discreetly bring cannabis on your next cruise vacation if it’s necessary. 

Can I Take Medical Marijuana On a Cruise?

Suppose you hold a medical marijuana card in your home state. In that case, you might wonder what the rules are surrounding cannabis being brought onto the cruise line, or even if the state the cruise departs from changes the regulations of the possession of medical marijuana. 

The simple answer to this question? Probably not.

It depends mainly on the cruise line and perhaps even the country the cruise ship sets sail from. Unfortunately, almost all major cruise lines in the United States don’t allow cannabis or CBD products onboard their ships. 

In fact, under federal law, cannabis in any form is prohibited aboard the majority of major cruise ship lines. Baggage brought onto the cruise will be run through a TSA airport-style security system to check for illegal drugs and other prohibited items.

Here are a few of the major cruise lines that don’t allow cannabis products to be brought onboard their ships:

• Royal Caribbean
• Carnival
• Norwegian
• Disney
• Virgin Voyages

While not yet final, marijuana is currently being rescheduled from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). 

This means that cannabis would be officially recognized by the federal government as having legitimate medical use. Many cannabis consumers hope that this rescheduling might eventually mean companies like major cruise lines will loosen their cannabis regulations when and if this occurs. 

But until then, you’ll either need to leave your cannabis products at home or find a way to discreetly bring them on board and consume them. 

Discreetly Bringing Medical Marijuana on a Cruise Ship

For some people, consuming cannabis is life-altering for their physical or mental health condition and has proven to be the only thing that relieves their symptoms.

In these cases, there are hacks to discreetly bring and consume medical marijuana onboard a cruise ship if it’s necessary. 

Please note that while these tips have worked for some cannabis consumers, there can be serious consequences for doing so if caught, depending on the cruise line’s rules and regulations. 

It’s also important to keep in mind that not everyone appreciates cannabis. So, if you do choose to consume cannabis on board, especially when smoking or vaping, please do so in a way that doesn’t affect the other passengers’ enjoyment of the ship!

Bringing Vape Products Onboard

This is perhaps the easiest and one of the most fool-proof methods for discreetly bringing cannabis on board a cruise ship.

Most major cruise ship lines don’t have any regulations about people bringing tobacco or nicotine-based vape pens, pods, etc., onboard. This is great news if your typical method of consuming cannabis is through vaping since it can be fairly easy to hide cannabis-based vapes in plain sight. Tobacco or nicotine vapes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, meaning any cannabis vapes brought onboard will likely be mistaken for these types of vapes. 

However, cruise ships do typically have rules about where you can vape or smoke cigarettes, so you should be discreet and abide by these rules when vaping onboard. 

Depending on the type of cannabis vape, some may not have a smell that is too much of a giveaway, while other vapor products may have a more pungent smell. Keep this in mind when vaping, even in these designated smoking areas! 

If your stateroom has a balcony, you’ll likely be able to vape out there fairly discreetly. When at the port, there should be plenty of places outside to discreetly vape as well!

The Cigarette Box Hack

While vaping cannabis is likely the easiest way to bring on and consume cannabis via inhaling when on a cruise, some people strongly prefer to smoke flowers. 

However, if you have yet to look into the types of vape products that most closely resemble flowers, you can read more about these cannabis vapor products here before taking a cruise. 

Bringing and smoking cannabis flowers on board a cruise ship is extremely tricky. 

One of the biggest issues with bringing flower-based cannabis products onboard the ship is that the shape of cannabis buds is easy to spot, meaning they will likely get confiscated when they do a security scan of your luggage. From there, they reserve the right to go through your baggage if anything they see looks suspicious. The smell of raw flowers is also the most pungent among cannabis products. 

For this proven hack, you’re going to need to do some work and possibly make a purchase upfront before your trip—but it’s likely to be well worth it for those who prefer to smoke flowers! 

While there are certainly designated areas onboard, smoking cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products are allowed on cruise ships. With this method, you’ll essentially be using an old cigarette box to “hide” pre-rolled or hand-rolled joints in plain sight. Cones instead of blunts in particular, are best for this method as they mimic what cigarettes look like on a baggage scanner.

First, keep in mind many pre-rolls or cones can be much taller than the average cigarette box. That means you’ll either need an old cigarette box that’s intended for longer cigarettes or you’ll need to do a bit of measuring before you begin rolling up joints to ensure they fit nicely into the cigarette box.

If you want to be extra discreet and ensure the proper fit, you can even purchase rolling cones or cigarette tubes and simply put ground flowers in those instead of tobacco. However, many of these cigarette tubes look very similar to the cones intended for cannabis, so this may not be necessary if you have a favorite pre-roll cone you prefer. 

Just be sure your box of “cannabis cigarettes” is kept in a smell-proof bag so that its odor doesn’t give them away. 

If you’re short on time, many dispensaries also sell a variety of pre-rolled joints, making this process easier. 

When it comes to where to smoke your pre-rolled joints, discretion is key. If your stateroom has an ocean-view balcony, this can be a great way to discreetly smoke joints because of the breeze coming off the water—just be sure your balcony neighbors aren’t sitting outside at the same time! When at port, there are likely more opportunities to find a quiet place away from other travelers to smoke. 

Keep in mind that while no bag checks are typically done as you leave the ship at port, a security scan of all items being brought back on the ship is done when you return. So, it might be a good idea to only take what you plan to consume when you leave the ship on port days!

The Vitamin Gummy Container Hack

This method is also practically fool-proof, as multi-vitamin gummies are commonly brought on board cruise ships and are allowed.

For this simple hack,  empty a bottle of regular multivitamin gummies and replace them with store-bought or even homemade cannabis-infused gummies. 

Since cannabis gummies don’t pack as much of a pungent smell as flowers, securing the lid on the vitamin gummy bottle should keep most of the scent at bay. However, it certainly couldn’t hurt to put the bottle in a sealed, smell-proof bag just in case! 

When it comes to other types of edibles, it might be a bit trickier to get these on board. You can generally bring pre-packaged candy onboard a cruise ship as most cruise lines allow sealed, store-bought snacks like candy. However, if you’re trying to swap regular candy for cannabis candy, this could be tricky since you’ll need to open the package first. Be sure to check the specific policies of your cruise line to avoid any issues when considering trying to bring on other types of cannabis candy. 

Bringing tinctures, Oils, and Other Types of Cannabis Products onboard

These types of products can also be discreetly relabeled or put in a plain travel-type container if this is your method of consuming or using cannabis products topically. 

Just be sure any products are kept in a smell-proof bag to prevent odors from escaping into your luggage or stateroom!

Pro Tips For Storing and Consuming Cannabis On a Cruise Ship

Use a Smell-Proof Bag: For the cigarette-box method especially, a smell-proof bag designed to keep the pungent smell of cannabis contained is a must. This is important not only for keeping your luggage smell-free but also to keep your stateroom from smelling like cannabis. 

You’ll want to go with something plain or discreet (meaning it shouldn’t have weed flower designs all over it) so that it doesn’t raise any red flags from your room attendant or the onboarding security. Be sure to open the smell-proof bag outside instead of in your room if at all possible! It also couldn’t hurt to bring some sort of air refresher spray to mask any lingering odors on your clothes, etc. 

Keep Cannabis Products In Your Stateroom Safe: If at all possible, the best method for ensuring your cannabis products are safe, discreetly stored, and as an added layer of smell-protection, keep your cannabis products stored in your room safe when not using them. 

Use an Odor and Smoke Trapper: Products that are made to absorb and trap smoke and odor upon exhale could also be helpful for discreetly smoking cannabis on a balcony, at port, etc. 

Takeaways

When planning a cruise, understanding the policies surrounding medical marijuana is essential to ensure an enjoyable and stress-free vacation.

While cannabis has proven to be life-changing for many individuals managing physical or mental health conditions, strict federal regulations and cruise line policies often prohibit bringing it on board. 

Until cannabis laws evolve further, those who rely on it must weigh their options carefully. When choosing to discreetly bring cannabis products along, passengers should always prioritize the comfort of fellow travelers when using these products. 

However, with proper planning and discretion, it’s possible to navigate this complex issue while still enjoying a memorable and cannabis-filled voyage!